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Well after offically been in business for the last 3 months, I finally got my first big break. A guy who plows snow for us during the winter does nothing but big federal government contracts. I have been trying to get my foot in the door with him for welding work. Well last week his current welder pissed him off and I mean pissed. Calls me and asked do I have my certs. Um yea why. I need you to finish this job for me. So I go down to DC to look at it, and was figuring 10-12K at the most. He is well could you do it for $34,500? With the best BS poker face ever, UM well its a little lower than I was thinking but I think I can do it for that. Best part is thats just the labor, all the steel was already bought and is sitting there to get installed. Its a huge project, but its broken down into three small jobs so it doesn't seem so bad broken up. Its going to take myself and my buddy as a sub to do it. Have 10 working weeks to do it and its only 160 hours worth of work to do. All we are doing is replacing some 8" angle iron that has rusted away on a concrete catwalk that being replaced, some metal grading on another catwalk and bottom 4 metal steps of a stair case. Its a lot more work that installing snow plows before winter but pays a lot better too. Nice part is, its giving me an excuss to buy a Hypertherm 1250 plasma cutter and a Miller Xtreme suitcase. Then when I am done and get paid a Miller trailblaster 302 diesel.Last edited by Xtreme Fabrication; 10-07-2008 at 09:52 AM.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:Nice!Couldn't beat that with a stick, as long as it all works out and the money is there.Best of luck to ya.It ain't your grandma's box!!
Reply:Looks like a good thing from here. When do you get paid?Do you have enough $ to get by until then?That is how I do it. Nice tower job, buy a ranger 250 when done and paid. Next tower job, buy V350 Pro., next.......One job I got was piece work so I bought the positioner first on credit and paid it off when I got paid for the job.good luck, keeps postedDavid Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Congratulations! Keep going forward, and post the pictures of the new machines when you get the chance.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:It's a nice things when things go your way. Hope it's just the beginning. Good luck"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:So it's on to bigger and better things! Congratulations and good luck, will check back to see pics of the new TB! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Atta boy. Go get em.Good for you!
Reply:Congratulations.insert thoughtful quote from someone else2000 Thermal Arc 300GTSW 3.5 hours1946 Monarch 20 x 54 Lathe1998 Supermax 10x54 Mill2004 Haco Atlantic 1/2" Capacity Lasernot mine but i get to play with it
Reply:Hate to be the negative side of a good story, but please be very cautious. With times like they are and you being a new business . Your alll too easy to take advantage of....... Contracts and W.O.'s pre approved.... Not contracts you made on your computer but by a legal attorney familiar with your trade & states legalities. With no materials being supplied you just lost the notice of furnishings. Make sure you have the certs that are required for the job, the ones mentioned in the specs otherwise they have the legal right to pay you as general labor. Hopefully this is just a great job oppourtunity and thats it. Too many around me are getting burned , too often and for big money. Anyhting to get the job done know pay later if they can.......500 AMP AIRCO TIG LINCOLN PT185 100% DC @ 128 AMP-WTFSPEED GLASS 9002X MILLER THUNDERBOLT 225HOBBIEST TURNED WELDING JUNKIE8 2ND FIRECAT - SNOWMOBILE RACE CHASSIS FABRICATORPRIDE IS WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK SO GOOD
Reply:CongratulationsTake inventory of the supplies before you agree to a contract. If it is sitting there now, then some of might walks off before you start. As stated, find out when and how they pay and is your pay contingent on them getting paid from the client.
Reply:I am beening very cautious with this job. I do get paid every 2 weeks. But I used to have a landscape company and we did work for this same person with no problems. He plows snow for us with his 2 skidloaders and 2 trucks so he won't bite a hand that feeds him back. As for the materials its all locked up in a room so no one can walk off with them, and the rest is sitting at the steel yard waiting for me to say to bring it when I need it.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:any updates??AWS CWI/CWEASNT NDT Level 2 PT/MTAWS Certified Welder(aerospace)
Reply:Sorry guys been a bit busy. Well about 2 weeks into this job everything when to crap. Some how I went from doing all the welding to work to crisis/damage control and project managament plus still doing the welding work. We had a gov supervisior that dedicided to be a PITA and started screwing around with the hispatic concrete crew. Basically there where 4 concrete truck inline and told them to stop the pour and shut the trucks off. Well my buddy wasn't there so I jumped in and dealt with the PITA super and the problem. Saved the day and got the super thrown off the job. So because of that I have gotten suckered into doing all the emegency welding work and all addon welding work. Along with being the 2nd project manager. So my project has almost doubled and so has the money. Yet I still have the same dec. 31 deadline. We have been putting in five 12 hour days down there or better to get everything done in time. Plus spending all day saturday in the shop fabing stuff for there.Best part was today. I was told by the my gov supervisor, his boss, and his boss's boss and the head boss that I will be doing all the structural work at this building from now on. That the other union company that was doing it is out because they can't get anything done NOW!! They have had nothing but great things to say about my work. Now mind you all these guys used to be the in house welders or steam fitters over the years at this gov boiler plant. So they know welding. So that made me feel great.I will be getting some pictures up soon. I did get that xtreme wire feeder, will make another post about that. Soon as I get my next big check I am picking up a miller 350pa multiprocessor to run this xtreme better. My old dialarc isn't too crazy about running it.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:That's great news green! Just remember - it WILL all be worth it in the end.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Actually, this sounds like very good news. You're building a reputation as a "get it done" kinda guy. That goes a long way.It also makes for grey hairsGood luck"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammIt also makes for grey hairs
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55...or no hairs!
Reply:Originally Posted by itsgottobegreenYea tell me about it. I am 23 and I am already starting to get a bald spot.
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55Well look at it this way - you're not loosing your hair, it's just retracting in preparation for popping out other places later on as you get older. Trust me!
Reply:On the upside, the more hair you lose the more head you get...JimLincoln Power Mig 255Hobart Stickmate AC/DCMiller AEAD 200LECutmaster 81
Reply:Originally Posted by itsgottobegreenYea tell me about it. I am 23 and I am already starting to get a bald spot.
Reply:In reply to #13 . I think the dial-arc 250 does not like a wire feeder , because it's a constant current machine , and usually wire feeders work best with constant VOLTAGE.[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:Excellent starts and improved superior arc performance for all types and sizes of wires whether using CV or CC power supply. Best low-end CC arc in the industry.http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...se_x-treme_vs/Must be a chore to lug that dialarc around. What is it about a dialarc that would cause it to run any worse than any other CC supply?Last edited by rat4spd; 11-21-2008 at 07:20 PM.
Reply:It got pick up out of the bed of the truck with a forklift and rolled over to where the electrician wired it in place for me. Hasn't moved since. As for the CC power with the dial-arc. I think the mark 8 just caused it to burn hotter on the long leads I am using. I got almost 300'+ of lead between the welder and where I am working.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:I always like hearing stories of success like this, especially when backed by good hard work. Congratulations on your success.How did this story end? OR are you still doing projects for them? I am curious....07 Fowler 200D65 RedFace04 Miller TB 302, 22hpMiller 12RCMiller HF 251-1Lincoln SP135HyperTherm PM 380and a few others... Originally Posted by RhynoBut, if I "all of a sudden disappear.... ...." hopefully I didn't suffer too much....
Reply:Alot of older posts being resurrected lately. Its interesting the overall tone of the post is very positive while if this guy would have made the same post recently, his skills and experience would have been questioned and the thread would have a completely different tone.What has changed in the last year and a half gentlemen?Bill
Reply:Originally Posted by WHughes... while if this guy would have made the same post recently, his skills and experience would have been questioned and the thread would have a completely different tone.What has changed in the last year and a half gentlemen?Bill
Reply:Yeah, there have been alot of critical posts lately. I could be wrong, or just sensitive.(probably wrong) I dont recall as much heated debate as I see now but maybe I overlooked it.
Reply:As for this job. I did get it done, But took it so far in the shorts it was almost a joke. The contractor basically took advanage of me "the new guy in business". He lied about what was suppost to be done in the begining. Half way threw the job, he said oh by the way once you finish this side of the building you got the whole other size to do to for the same price. Needless to say there is a silver lining to it. The government contracting officer got so pissed off when he found out how much I got paided to what he got charged. He asked me to do work for them directly. He then helped me get my company registered to do work for the federal government. I am now averaging one to three government jobs a month. I have become in the last year the go to guy for all emergency jobs and all steel fabrication/welding work. Even better I gained four good customers because of this one government building. 3 of the 4 have done work in the same building. Two seen my work and one said if I can keep "So and so" happy your working for us. The other knows of the place and said if I am doing work for GSA, then I can work for them (btw they have become my biggest customer)Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:Originally Posted by Xtreme FabricationAs for this job. I did get it done, But took it so far in the shorts it was almost a joke. The contractor basically took advanage of me "the new guy in business". He lied about what was suppost to be done in the begining. Half way threw the job, he said oh by the way once you finish this side of the building you got the whole other size to do to for the same price. Needless to say there is a silver lining to it. The government contracting officer got so pissed off when he found out how much I got paided to what he got charged. He asked me to do work for them directly. He then helped me get my company registered to do work for the federal government. I am now averaging one to three government jobs a month. I have become in the last year the go to guy for all emergency jobs and all steel fabrication/welding work. Even better I gained four good customers because of this one government building. 3 of the 4 have done work in the same building. Two seen my work and one said if I can keep "So and so" happy your working for us. The other knows of the place and said if I am doing work for GSA, then I can work for them (btw they have become my biggest customer)
Reply:Xtreme Fabrication, Glad it worked out for you in the long run. I have seen so many greedy people/companies have short term gain for a HUGE long term loss. I would say keep doing what you are because it sounds pretty good!
Reply:glad everything worked out for you. Even though you got screwed on the job you probably learned a lot about business workings and how not to get screwed on other jobs. This was probably more valuable than a paycheck in some ways. I bet you have a rock solid contract now to prevent getting it in the shorts again. You finished the job, got some new welders, got new customers, and hopefully learned a lot the business aspect of running your own business. And all is well in the end. Great job
Reply:good to hear a happy ending
Reply:Attaboy!
Reply:Ahh just paint me green and call me jealous.. I am trying to start a company and boy are jobs thin on the ground, but good luck and I wish the best for you!! |
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发表于 2021-8-31 23:57:20